(SALEM) – When we first reported the death of Vittorio Arrigoni last April, we knew we were faced with the passing of a spirit larger than those that can be contained inside of any man, or activist; his death represented something far worse than the loss of any single person.

It left a barren hole that punched through Gaza, reverberated through Italy and all of the world, creating a huge void. The magnitude of Vik’s loss was tantamount to his presence on earth. Few people ever did more and he almost certainly was one of the most inspirational activists to ever live.

As we consider the gifted man whose vitality slipped away in the night, know that Vittorio, known by ‘Vik’ to his friends, wasn’t in it for himself. Every aspect of every story screams this. Vik cared about the people of Gaza, who live in a prison camp setting. He could not stand the way Israel attacks Gaza’s fishermen, or its loan teenage female captain. He accompanied them, he rolled tape, he wrote at length about their lives, their accomplishments, their deaths. Vik was shot and hurt once by the Israeli military while defending Gaza fishermen, and on another day they nearly drowned him.

He helped people in their effort to survive, as they were pummeled under the fascist fist of Israel’s political prejudice. Their apartheid system has different laws for people, one set for Jews and one for everyone else. There are even “Jewish Only” roads throughout Israel. Their political punishment of perceived enemies is unforgivable and Israel’s campaign against Palestine is one against the whole world.

Israel kills more than 1400 people in Gaza at a time, in a single operation, using illegal weapons and tactics; yet claims only their national security is at risk. Israel’s apologists constantly talk about rockets fired from Gaza, which are acts of futile resistance, that have killed a total of 29 Israelis in all time, ever. That is hardly a justified reason for apartheid, murder, genocide, and human abuse.

This, as Israel imprisons an entire population. Zionists and Nazi’s are very similar, very close. Vik’s grandparents, Italian resistance fighters in World War Two, fought the Nazi’s and the Fascists. However all the Israeli Defence Forces ever did was treat Vik with scorn, political abuse and violence.

For the brave and courageous men and women of this world like Vittorio Arrigoni, who oppose those who strike humanity from the conversation, Israel’s Zionists reserve special titles that imply that somehow all the good motives are bad.

The aggressive ones accuse the human activists of not hating the violence. They claim, and their views are repeated by the press and the networks, that opposing Zionism is actually a hatred of their Jewish faith. The first and largest problem with that utterly false accusation, is that Judaism and Zionism (the belief that God authorized Jews to kill Palestinians and steal their land) are like apples and oranges.

Judaism is ancient, Zionism is an idea given birth by a German in the 1890’s, Theodore Herzl.

Hating them over their religion? – these are words from a language most of us don’t even understand. Does a person or group need amazing ego just to make that claim, or what? In the end the term antisemitic technically means a person is against people of the ancient Semitic languages, this means Jews and Arabs, Ethiopians, or Assyrians.

Labeling those who defend Palestinians as ‘antisemitic’ is akin to claiming that those who oppose the woman-abusing Taliban are actually masking a hatred for Muslims, or inferring that abhorring the acts of the murderous Mexican drug cartels are actually bigotry toward Hispanic people. What nonsense, what rubbish.

As both Egidia Beretta Arrigoni, mother of Vittorio Arrigoni, and Ken O’Keefe, our fellow writer and close friend of Vik’s in Gaza, said: he is not dead. No such person ever truly goes away; Vik Arrigoni’s legacy is here to stay.

Watch the VIDEO below:

Story and pre-production by Tim King, Video post-production by Sean King.

When it comes down to what I’m doin’, What I’m doin’,
What I’m doin’ at the end of the road:
Pride in my words, and passion in my heart.
And ain’t a place that I’d rather start.
And if it comes down to what I’m doin’, What I’m doin’,
What I’m doin’, at the end of the road.
This path I chose you don’t see it, but believe it!
Just know that I’mma have a place to go, at the end of the road.

(Hook-Marka)

Life is sacred; it came from heaven up above;
A blessing from the Lord to be shared by everyone!
Freedom is God-given, something that we come to love;
It’s in the blood to defend it, yes! Our strongest passion!
The message goin’ out to those who transgress and violate,
When we’re overwhelmed, the Lord shakes the earth awake.
Everyone suffers; count the losses, check the death rate!
The ignorant surprised, as they watch the newsbreak.

The tears shed, man. for the ones that are sufferin’—
For the ones captive or dyin’ in the millions;
This one goes out to all my people in captivity:
Everyday we pray the Lord gives you all security!
Free you from the devil’s hand, those who oppress thee;
So you can enjoy your sacred life in the world free!
No one has the right to dictate your future, see?
The message goes out: mercy extends universally!
When it comes down to what I’m doin’, What I’m doin’,
What I’m doin’ at the end of the road:

Pride in my words, and passion in my heart.
And ain’t a place that I’d rather start.
And if it comes down to what I’m doin’,
What I’m doin’, What I’m doin’, at the end of the road.
This path I chose you don’t see it, but believe it!
Just know that I’mma have a place to go, at the end of the road.

(Hook-Marka)

____________________________________________

Most of us don’t want to take responsibility
Save a few brave hearts, inspired God-consciously
Not afraid to parade the doorsteps of authority;
Demand justice be served for the sake of humanity!
Going out to all the brave men and woman activists,
Who put their lives on the line to expose injustice;
Who exert their energy to see we live with dignity—
Your mission and your efforts are recorded in our history!
For all those who enjoin the good and forbid the evil:
Men, women, and children—everyone that is able;
Give a lending hand to stop all that are sinful;
Only with unity can we achieve and become forceful!

Those who left us never will be forgotten;
In our hearts you all will remain with lots of lovin’;
A place for you is set at the end of the road!
May the Lord give you peace and a heavenly abode!
When it comes down to what I’m doin’, What I’m doin’,
What I’m doin’ at the end of the road:
Pride in my words, and passion in my heart.
And ain’t a place that I’d rather start.
And if it comes down to what I’m doin’,
What I’m doin’, What I’m doin’, at the end of the road.
This path I chose you don’t see it, but believe it!
Just know that I’mma have a place to go, at the end of the road.

Also:

Advisory regarding comments: Comments on this story need to be of a respectful nature or they will not be approved.

_________________________________

Salem-News.com Writer/Author/Musician Agron Belica, faced many challenges growing up as a rootless street youth, situations so intense that they threatened to destroy him- that is until he rediscovered his Muslim roots a few years ago and turned his life around. In 2008, Agron Belica published his research article The Revival of the Prophet Yahya, and has caused quite a stir in scholarly circles. In 2009, a new theory was born, The Crucifixion: Mistaken Identity?> John the Baptist and Jesus the Christ. With no formal advanced education, he offers new interpretations of certain key words in the Quran along with his challenging theories about the role of John the Baptist in the Crucifixion and has attracted the attention of well-known scholars in the field of comparative religion, such as Dr. Laleh Bakhtiar, the first American woman to translate the Quran into English, the noted university professor, Dr. Mahmoud Ayoub, and the author and translator, Dr. Jay R. Crook.

Tim King is a former U.S. Marine with twenty years of experience on the west coast as a television news producer, photojournalist, reporter and assignment editor. In addition to his role as a war correspondent, this Los Angeles native serves as Salem-News.com’s Executive News Editor. Tim spent the winter of 2006/07 covering the war in Afghanistan, and he was in Iraq over the summer of 2008, reporting from the war while embedded with both the U.S. Army and the Marines. Tim holds numerous awards for reporting, photography, writing and editing, including the Oregon AP Award for Spot News Photographer of the Year (2004), first place Electronic Media Award in Spot News, Las Vegas, (1998), Oregon AP Cooperation Award (1991); and several others including the 2005 Red Cross Good Neighborhood Award for reporting. Tim has several years of experience in network affiliate news TV stations, having worked as a reporter and photographer at NBC, ABC and FOX stations in Arizona, Nevada and Oregon.

Salem-News.com has some of the oldest and youngest working journalists in the nation. In 2006, at the age of 14, Sean became the youngest broadcast TV News reporter in the NW when he was selected as a Salem Correspondent by ATTN’s NW Teen News, which aired on Salem’s KWVT. He has been contributing to Salem-News.com and assisting with technical needs ever since. A graduate of the Media Arts Academy; a special high school that specializes in art, video and Internet production, Sean also has substantial time under his belt in the cable access world, where he has volunteered for years off and on, with Salem Oregon’s CCTV group. His show ran for several months in 2005 and was a hit with younger and older audiences. Literally raised in a TV news household, Sean is able to understand and report about many things with a fresh, undiluted perspective. Sean has several videos hosted on Youtube. One of which, entitled “Cradle of Filth- My Humps” with nearly a million views, is very popular among the YouTube community.

Vittorio Arrigoni Humanist, peace and social activist, political writer and lover of humanity. Vik as he was known in Gaza, was not given the chance to continue his work in Gaza. t
Some will think that life is fair and that we die paying our sins. here is a popular saying: “who lives by the sword dies by the sword,” when you know bad people you will understand and even proclaim your disgust for that person, but for the people of Gaza that knew Vittorio could not possibly believe that, the ones that lived the struggles in Gaza with him, -because Vittorio was another Gazanwi under the Bombs- how will they explain his violent death? even if they are religious and think that Allah is fair and rightful in all his decisions, how will they understand that Allah choose a cruel death for this men they knew to be lovely, funny, giver, caring and unselfish., for the ones that knew his humanitarian work thru his writings and the videos, and to all member of International Solidarity Movement; how they see his death?.

There were so many rumors of the reason of his death, some outrageous claims were circulating in the internet about his kidnapping, and lets not repeat those slanderous claims because there were senseless, cruel and clueless.

For my part I m inclined to believe that he was used, I go further to claim that because he was so loved and respected in Gaza he was chosen to be the lamb for sacrifice. Who ever did this horrible crime, they never thought that anyone was going to be killed, they thought that Vik being so loved and appreciated in Gaza was going to be swept in exchange for the political prisoner in Hamas jails. Even sound childish that the government was going to make the exchange without questions.

I wonder what went wrong in the last hours, why the negotiations did not succeed? why Vittorio life was not secured before any armed man came to the scene of the holding?.

Gaza is a place where kidnappings have happened before, they always negotiated, is not like they have a policy of No to Negotiate with “terrorists” as the US has, at least in public. There were many reports that Vittorio was death hours before the incident took place, that is the official, the forensic finding. I was not there and I did not see Vik leaving in stretchers from the place of the crime, but I only can see that there are many things that went wrong that day. In my opinion I sense a kind of cover up.

Vik had very good relations with the local government. I have been told by few people that live in Gaza and by others that have been in Gaza either in the convoys or as a reporters that the local authorities take good care of the foreigners that live in Gaza, meaning that they are, or protected, or continuously followed for various reasons. Hamas would not want to have bad propaganda. In the past before Hamas came to power, it was very often the kidnapping but since they assumed the power there was not other cases inside Gaza.

It is terrible to feel unable to find the truth to his dead, I m a very skeptical mind, and the official version of the facts will always be adorned and twisted for public relations benefit. I will refuse to accept that he was murdered in cold blood just because the demands were not meet..

I could be all wrong of all my judgements, my ideas, my thinking but I can not help it but doubt the official history, that’s not make sense at all.

The following is an article that was published on April 23, 2011 by IMEMC (International Meddle East Media Center)

Video Shows Family Members Of Arrigoni Kidnappers Urging His Release

Saturday April 23, 2011 13:47 by Saed Bannoura – IMEMC & Agencies

“All of the Muslims in the world are wrong, and you three are the only ones who are right?!!” pleads the father of Mahmoud Salfity, one of the kidnappers, in a video published on a the website of the Palestinian Interior Ministry on Wednesday.

The Father Of Mahmoud Salfity

Two Parts Video

The video shows one family member after another begging the kidnappers of an Italian activist to let him go. Vittorio Arrigoni was killed by his kidnappers just hours after being abducted last week in Gaza. (According to the Official Story)

On Wednesday April 20th, (Five Days After the Murder)the Ministry of Interior and National Security in Gaza, released new details on pleads made by the families of the kidnappers to release Arrigoni.

The kidnappers were barracking themselves in the second floor of a home in Al Nusseirat refugee camp in central Gaza.

The video first shows Hisham Al Sadeeni, detained by Hamas, trying to talk to one of the kidnappers, identified as Abu Amer, urging him to release Arrigoni, and telling him that he would be released by Hamas forces, and that the only thing that delays the release and resolving the issue of the other gunmen depends on the release of Arrigoni. (Where is the Whole video, you can see there are already gun shots holes in the wall, in the two part of the video, un less they are old gun shots)

The second scene of the video shows the father of Mahmoud Al Salfity, one of the kidnappers, trying to speak to his son and bring some since to him, while the voice of another gunman was heard in the background as he was refusing the plead.

“It is my right to speak to my son”, the father said, “I will stay here, I will sleep here if necessary, I urge you, I beg you let me speak to my son”, the father was telling one of the gunmen, “Do you consider yourself right and millions of Muslims in the world wrong?! You three do not represent the Muslims, what you are doing is wrong, the Salafists, the Islamic Jihad and everybody do not approve of what you are doing, everybody… your brothers are begging you to come down, they don’t want you to die, you should be more reasonable than that, please have some sense, please ‘brother’, for your own sake just come down son, I raised you, I took care of you, and you are doing this impiety?!”

The father was also telling his son that Islam is a moderate religion, a humanitarian belief, and does not accept what is happening.

On the third scene the mother of Bilal Al Omary, one of the kidnappers, was urging the release of Arrigoni and assuring him that the Hamas security forces vowed not to harm him.

In the fourth scene, the uncle of Bilal was also urging him to release Arrigoni and telling him that nobody will abandon him and his friends, and will stand by them.

The fifth scene shows the brother of Bilal telling him that Abdul-Rahman, one of the captures of Arrigoni will be allowed back to his country. And that he will be allowed to go wherever he wants without being harmed.

The mother was desperately pleading the release of Arrigoni, and a peaceful ending to the whole ordeal.

The pleads of ended with gunshots fired by the abductors from the second floor at their own family members downstairs.

While the attempts to release Vittorio inside the building occur there is activity of what if seems to be Palestinian Commandos, getting into the roof of the building in Al Nusseirat refugee camp in central Gaza, where reports in the official Palestinians News were already circulating since early, at 2 PM PST the tweets mention of negotiations already going on to secure the release of Vittorio, while the commotion is recorded inside the building Aljazeera Arabic Channel is recording the action outside the building.

The arrest of one accused of killing the Italian solidarity in Gaza (English Subtitles of the Video)

القبض على أحد المتهمين بقتل المتضامن الايطالي بغزة

This is the Official Version of the Events

The government in Gaza made every effort to reveal the details of Vittorio Arrigoni‘s murder and catch those responsible, spokesman of the Ministry of Interior Ehab Al-Ghusein said Wednesday.

Two suspects in the murder of the Italian activist died and another sustained injuries Tuesday when Hamas security forces raided a building in Gaza City after a short standoff outside.

On Wednesday, Al-Ghusein briefed reporters on the specifics of the operation.

At a news conference in Gaza City, he displayed images in which the mother of Bilal Al-Umari, one of the suspects, tries to convince him to surrender saying she had received assurances about his treatment.

Authorities also brought Hisham Al-Saidni, the leader whose release the suspects had allegedly demanded, and he urged them to give themselves up, Al-Ghusein explained.

His ministry has released dramatic footage showing the events leading up to the raid. Relatives of the suspects are seen pleading with them to surrender to police. Eventually, a gunshot is heard.

Let this be a lesson for those seeking to disturb the security of Gaza,” Al-Ghusein said.

“Those behind this crime have failed to disrupt life for Palestinians by creating a state of terror against the International Solidarity Movement,” he added.

Al-Ghusein gave reporters a timeline of events since the kidnapping:

— Forces arrested two Palestinians within “moments” of the kidnapping on Thursday, Al-Ghusein said. They admitted their role in the abduction and actions with the rest of the group.

— After the murder, investigations revealed the location of the three fugitives. Security forces surrounded the home and repeatedly asked the suspects to surrender in accordance with the law, he said.

— When the suspects opened fire, a member of the security was moderately injured.

— After six hours of trying to convince the suspects to surrender, security forces attempted to take control of the house. Two men went to the roof of the building where the men had barricaded themselves.

— When Abdul-Rahman Al-Breizat noticed them, he threw a grenade at the forces which moderately injured one of the security forces outside.

The next article was published by the Italian Magazine IL Manifesto on July 09, 2011 by Michele Giorgio, with updated for Yesterday Court appended to the original article.

Vik Arrigoni, today the process

Vittorio Arrigoni was strangled between the night of April 14 and the early hours of April 15. He was still alive in the video shot by his captors that was placed on youtube. His face was swollen and bleeding shown in the face of the Italian journalist and activist, the images filmed shown in the video was the result of hard blows he had received, in particular one struck in the head with the butt of a gun from Bilal al Omari, his occasional companion at the local gym, with the grip of his pistol in the early stages of the kidnapping as probably Vittorio tried to break free and escape.

Reference to these and many other details, were disclosure to Mohamed Najar lawyer of Jram Khader in Gaza City early today in the opening of the trial of four Palestinians accused of kidnapping and murder of Vittorio. Jram Khader 26 year old from the Shati refugee camp, worked as a firemen, who confessed that he had himself indicated as Victor stranger to capture the group (allegedly) Salafist that last April, under the command of Jordanian Abdel Rahman Breizat, has claimed the kidnapping of Vik. Najar, showing photocopies of official documents received from the military prosecutor’s office, he read the relevant passages of the confessions made by defendants during interrogation.

And ‘the truth of the defendants – Mohammed Salfi, 23 years of Karama; Hasasnah Tarek, 25 years of Shat, Amer Abu Ghoul, 25 years of Shat and Jram Khadr – who perhaps do not fully correspond to what happened. In addition, two other members of the group of kidnappers, the Jordanian and Palestinian Breizat Omari, considered the “leaders” of the Salafist cell, can not tell their version. They were killed a couple of days after the discovery of the body of Vik made during the Blitz in their retreat from one unit Nusseirat choice of Hamas. However, it is the first time, five months after the murder of Victor, which is made known, even if only partially, the files of investigations conducted by the military prosecutor’s office of Hamas (all four defendants are members with various tasks forces safety) and never delivered to the lawyers of the family Arrigoni. Two days ago it finally arrived in Gaza from Italy the prosecution (based on criteria set by the Islamic movement) in favor of the Palestinian Centre for Human Rights, which represents the relatives of Vik at the hearing tomorrow. It is hoped that Hamas can not find more excuses for not recognizing it.

Because Victor was killed in Gaza who had spent the last years of his life and where he enjoyed the esteem of so many Palestinians? Najar’s lawyer has a long answer to this question that raise many months. “From the confessions and statements of my client and the other defendants is clear that the intent of the group, informally not a real organization, was to seize a Westerner to obtain the release of Sheikh Abdel-Walid al-Maqdisi, arrested by Hamas for subversive activities, “said Najar. “Breizat had returned to Gaza (the first time he entered a year and a half earlier and had returned, with false documents, between February and March 2011, ed) for the express purpose of finding a way to release the sheik that Maqdisi was his teacher in Jordan, “added the lawyer arguing that” through the kidnapping of the young people wanted to affirm the existence of their armed cells (ideologically linked to Tawhid wal Jihad, ed) and had no intention of killing the Italian ” . True, false? Najar raises his shoulders. “This is what I read in the acts.” Vittorio Arrigoni Why? “My client (Jram) that lavorara fire station in front of a building frequented by Victor told me he had insisted on that name because it was known in Gaza and, according to him, the Italian led a life ill-adapted to local customs, too Western. ” In essence, the attorney said, “The end of the kidnapping was to leave before anything else Maqdisi and immediately after giving a lecture to Italian: crush, scare and then release him.”

But things went differently and Vik was brutally killed. “The police of Hamas (the evening of April 14, note) has reconstructed the dynamics within hours of the abduction and arrested immediately Khader Jram which followed the movements of Arrigoni, had spoken to him on the evening of the kidnapping and had reported his movements to accomplices. To avoid capture so Breizat killed the Italian and two accomplices tried to lose the tracks, along with two others (at Omari and Salfi, ed), but were quickly identified. ” The figure of Jordan, described as cold and calculating from other members of the group, remains a mystery even in an investigation conducted by Hamas. Scrolling acts, the lawyer said that the military prosecutor’s office Najar has not been able to establish links between Breizat and “external forces” involved eliminating Vittorio Arrigoni, but investigators do not exclude them.

The impression we gained yesterday that during his trial lawyer and legal Najar set against the other defendants Breizat and Omari, who can no longer speak, the major responsibility. Salfi, for example, said under questioning that when Victor was killed, “he was the toilet” and did not see anything. Hasasnah gave a similar version. Jram but claims to have played a secondary role, not operational, the management of the seizure and the Ghoul says he only rented the apartment used by kidnappers to hide Vittorio and had never heard of the intentions of the armed group. So we will see an intensive “buck.” Jrar meanwhile said “very sorry” for insisting on the kidnapping of Vik and hopefully in a few years sentence in prison.

It is for the military judge clarity Abu Omar Atallah putting an end to the reluctance of the Hamas authorities that five months have not issued any statement on the assassination of Victor. Even the trial date has not been announced.

The world needs to know the sad truth of Vittorio Arrigoni undeserved death, Palestinians need to know why Vittorio was not guarantee before Hamas used any commands to try to rescue him. The truth soon or later will need to surface, even if is painful to know.

At 13:00 (Italian time) on May 17 the 73 Co.R.Um activists left the Gaza Strip through the Rafah border Crossing, headed towards Cairo, from where they will depart for Italy. The convoy entered Gaza, Palestine through the only free open border to the world, Rafah.

The “Stay Human Convoy” (Convoglio Restiamo Umani.) leaves the Gaza Strip after 5 days of really! emotional living the life with The population of Gaza, that received them with their known good heart and open arms.
The delegation of 73 activists crosses the Rafah border crossing to come back to Egypt, after spending five days in Gaza.
Gaza on May 12 after a long journey through the Sinai Desert, with the aim of returning to the place where Vittorio Arrigoni spent the last 3 years of his life. “We’re going to Gaza, Vittorio is with us”,

During their stay in Gaza, the Convoy took part in numerous meetings and initiatives, always accompanied by the Palestinian Population, who led them through the places recounted by Vittorio Arrigoni, in a Gaza that still shows all the signs of the destruction wrought by the Israeli bombings of Operation Cast Lead in 2008/2009. Among the many encounters, there was a meeting with the Gaza’s media-activists, with the aim of creating a multimedia platform that will continue the work of direct testimony initiated by Vittorio via a web site.

THEY MEET ALSO;

Palestinian and international bloggers and journalists.

Furthermore, Co.R.Um took part in the demonstration of May 15th at the Erez Crossing,

controlled by Israel, in the day where in all the occupied Palestinian territories the “Nakba”,

the catastrophe, is commemorated. These demonstrations were repressed by the Israeli Army everywhere, and in particular in Gaza, where one person was killed and 200 were injured. In the hours after the demonstration a delegation from the convoy visited the injured at the hospital were they were taken.

In the same day, at the Gaza Harbour, there was a commemoration one month after Vittorio’s death.

participated, together with the Palestinian fishermen, with whom

they had already held meetings during the week.

Welcome to Gaza video about Palestine history, Via Omar Karem ‘Welcome to Gaza’ is a documentary about Gaza city located on the
Mediterranean Sea Coast in the far southwest of Palestine. The film reviews the ancient city dated to more than 5000 years. Further, it reviews the aspects of life which is full of vitality and liveliness; in addition to the hospitality of its people and the scenes of tolerance and love among people of the city,

– The convoy will last six/seven days in order to give the possibility to participate for as many people as possible.
– It will take place between the 11th and 19th May.The exact dates will be agreed in few days with the people in Gaza that will host us.
So, lets start to get ready!
After leaving Cairo this morning at dawn, the 80 activists of the VIK2GAZA convoy have entered Gaza at 4pm after crossing five Egyptian check-points.
The convoy will be Staying in the Gaza strip to meet the Palestinian people who day by day are trying to resist the Israeli military occupation. The convoy will also join Gaza in the mourning of the Nakba, the day of the Palestinian catastrophe, which will take place between the 14 and the 15 of May.
A Second convoy, with over 100 buses, will leave from Tahir square in Cairo, the square that has become the symbol of recent popular revolutions in the Middle East , and will try to cross the Rafah pass on the 15 of May. This is a collective movement that wants to show full support to the fight of the Palestinian people for self-determination, to their everyday resistance against military occupation and to the right of all Palestinian refugees to come back to their land.
On the 21st April, a meeting regarding the discussions and reflections on the murder of Vittorio Arrigoni was held in Rome amongst different activists. From the gathering, the need to organize a convoy to Gaza through Egypt was decided.
Let’s start this process by sharing those points:

80 Peace Activists from Italian Solidarity Convoy Entered Gaza Today

– We want to go to Gaza through Rafah Border Crossing with all in the world that need to say aloud what Vittorio used to say: Stay human! We want to do it from Egypt because, in the post Mubarak era, that border must be opened to break the siege imposed for too long on the people in Gaza.
– We want to be in Gaza on the 15th May which is the 1 month anniversary of Vittorio’s death. It will be also Nakba day, when thousands of young Palestinians, as already announced, will go back to the street all over the world to ask for the end of the occupation and also, a new unity and the end of the internal division within the Palestinian authorities.
We want to go to Gaza for different reasons:
– Although Vittorio was killed, it has to be clear that they can not stop the international support for the Palestinian people. Also thanks to him now the international support is much stronger and united against the occupation both of Gaza and of the West Bank.
– We want to give voice and continuity to the work that Vittorio, together with Palestinian men and women was bringing forward. Particularly the independent information that he managed to pass to the world from the besieged Gaza strip. For this reason, we will bring materials, tools and all we need to give life to a Media Center dedicated to Vittorio.
– The Freedom Flotilla will soon sail towards Gaza. Even though the two initiatives are organized separately, the two journeys, both via land and via sea, could reinforce each other to break the siege of Gaza.

Welcome To Gaza

Press release: in the name of Vittorio Arrigoni, the ‘Stay Human’ convoy has entered GazaVik2Gaza

The sun had not yet risen in Cairo, as the Stay Human convoy began to prepare the departure for Gaza. The journey about to be embarked upon was one filled with expectations and hope. The importance of the crossing the border at Rafah following the protests that brought down the Mubarak regime was on the minds of everyone, as well as the desire to remember Vittorio Arrigoni in the same place where he dedicated his life. The convoy will carry a message to the people of Palestine addressed to the entire world: Palestine is not alone, Vik’s dreams are also ours, solidarity towards those who struggle against oppression and exploitation knows no borders.

Ten checkpoints slow the journey, one in particular, blocks it for 2.5 hours in the Sinai desert, with the usual issues, the same from the previous days, about not being able to cross Rafah. The Italian embassy “concerned and ernest” had announced that the convoy would never enter Gaza, but obviously the facts have proved him wrong: we are here!

The Stay Human Convoy now follows in the footsteps of Vittorio, imprinted in the land of Gaza and underscored by the spontaneous affection shown by the Palestinians who welcome our arrival. The Stay Human Convoy breathes in the determination, courage and extreme humility of Vittorio, characteristics that we recognize in the unrelenting resistance of the Palestinian people. For many of us this is the first time crossing the border of the Gaza Strip, a victory for those who never surrendered, whether by land or by sea, to the categorical “Denied Entry”: nothing to see here, no one to meet.

Omar Karem journalist from Gaza Joins the Stay Human Convoy in a day of Jubilee

The historical importance of the moment is heightened by the infectious enthusiasm of the many Palestinians present to welcome the convoy, who accompany us to Gaza City.
Once there we retrace Vittorio’s footsteps, in the places he frequented during his long stay in Gaza, where he met the friends that we now meet. To the tunes of Bella Ciao, Unadikom and Gazawi rap, images of Vittorio greet our arrival.
Ciao Vik, Free Palestine.
The Activists take a major role in the future of Gaza, the convoys that have managed to brake the siege will leave their footprints in the live of Gazan, the unknown soldiers as Vittorio Arrigoni and Rachel Corrie can be known, as they without planing their future they marked a different type of soldier for the liberation of Palestine.

You came to Gaza as no one did,
You helped the poor and the hungry you fed,
Women were killed and children were dead,
So, you swore to free the country you loved!
…And since you’ve gone,
We’ll complete what you’d begun,
We will go on,
We will put our hands together,
And free Palestine forever🙂
A sketch by: Claudia Ferrara

~Restiamo Umani~ Stay Human

KAREM SAY: “I SAW YOU ONLY FEW TIMES, BUT YOU FIGHT AS PALESTINIAN AND LIVED OUR SUFFERING AND YOU LEAVE THE NICE WORLD AND CAME TO BE ONE OF GREAT PEOPLE, LIKE RACHEL CORRIE. WE WILL NOT FORGET YOU BROTHER VIK” OMAR KAREM

With great shock and sorrow,
The Palestinian Center for Human Rights (PCHR) condemns the murder of Italian activist, Vittorio Arrigoni. On Friday afternoon, 15 April 2011, Vittorio’s body was found in an building complex in the north of the Gaza Strip, following his murder at the hands of kidnappers. According to Hamas security forces, that are seen storming the building trying to free Vittorio from the hands of the “kidnappers”.

The Palestinian Center for Human Rights (PCHR), and its entire staff, gravely condemns this crime, which targets our inherent human dignity, and the values and traditions of the lawful struggle for freedom and justice. It is this human struggle which connects Gazan’s – locked behind the closed door of the Gaza Strip – with the outside world, and inspires countless individuals to stand as human rights defenders.

PCHR calls upon the government in Gaza to prosecute the perpetrators. Furthermore, all necessary measures must be taken to secure the safety of international activists in the Gaza Strip, without limit their freedom to exercise their humanitarian duties.

According to investigations conducted by PCHR, on Thursday evening, 14 April 2011, a group named “Group of the Companion Mohammed Bin Maslamah” announced the kidnapping of the Italian journalist, Vittorio Arrigoni, 36, a prominent member of the International Solidarity Movement (ISM) and a human rights defender. In a video posted on the Youtube website, the group demanded the release of detained members of the group, affiliates of the so-called “Salafist Jihadist Group”. The kidnappers threatened to kill Arrigoni if the government in Gaza did not meet their demands within 30 hours.

In a grave development, contrary to fundamental values shared by all Palestinians, the group carried out their threat. On Friday afternoon, 15 April 2011, security forces of Hamas found the body of Arrigoni in a house located in the ‘Amer project area, west of al-Karamah building in the west of Jabalia, north of the Gaza Strip. In his testimony, a PCHR staff-member reported signs of beating on the victim’s face, signs of handcuffs on his hands, and signs of strangulation around his neck.
The Ministry of Interior in Gaza issued a press release on Friday, condemning this heinous crime. It declared the arrest of two members of the group and the continued search for others.

Arrigoni had worked in Gaza since 2008, when he arrived on board the “Free Gaza” flotilla, organized to break the closure imposed on the Gaza Strip. He devoted himself to the defense of Palestinians’ rights, and participated in a number of activities against the closure, against violations committed by Israeli Forces against Palestinian civilians, particularly fishermen, and against the Israeli decision to impose a ‘buffer zone’ in the Gaza Strip. He was arrested by Israel forces on18 November 2008, while he was accompanying a number of fishermen off the shores of Deir al-Balah, central Gaza Strip. However, he returned to Gaza a few months later via Rafah International Crossing. Arrigoni was also in the West Bank for a few years before coming to Gaza. He has been known for his activity with the International Solidarity Movement.

PCHR reiterates its condemnation of this heinous crime, and:
1. Calls upon the government in Gaza to conduct an effective and prompt investigation to identify the circumstances of the crime, prosecute the perpetrators, and publish the investigations’ results;
2. Appreciates the role played by the International Solidarity Movement and other human rights defenders in the occupied Palestinian territory;
3. Calls upon the international community, political powers and Palestinian people to condemn this crime and organize peaceful activities against it.

The events have not been clear since the beginning, there is clouds on the way the situation was managed by the security forces of Gaza. The whole world was expecting the release of Vittorio Arrigoni alive, there were signs that he will be safe and sound. Some tweeters were circulating about some journalist in Gaza lending themselves as a shields to secure the safety of Vik. By 1:30 PM PST the tweets were suggesting that security forces declined the offer of help of the journalists and they (security forces) will be trying to free Vittorio from the hands of the “kidnappers”.

The video by aljazeera showing the storming of the building where Vik was found dead shows no time. Will be very important to shed light to Vik murders to put time on that video. And the security forces of Gaza need to be clear in the way the situation was handle since the knowledge of the kidnap.

We know that this horrendous crime is the exception and not the norm in Gaza Strip, and Palestinians and the activists community assure the world that we wont stop our activities in Palestine. The goal is liberate Palestine altogether. No fundamental groups, radical minds or threats from Israel will deter us from continue the activities inside and outside Palestine to stop this inhumane Occupation.